


Whispers in the Darkness

by Dramione84



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:55:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23769607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dramione84/pseuds/Dramione84
Summary: Neville knows that soon the time will come for him fight and then Milli must make a choice. He hopes beyond all hope she will make the right choice.
Relationships: Millicent Bulstrode/Neville Longbottom
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	Whispers in the Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks to Venomandvine for awesome beta work, notes and general cheer leading, and thanks to LumosLyra for the prompt. This is gifted to her.

Neville strode along the corridors, hunched over slightly but it was part of his normal rambling gait. His hand came up to his lip to touch the bruise that was quickly forming thanks to another beating at the hands of the Carrow’s. As he made his way along the corridor to the Room of Requirement a shadow caught his eye, causing him to stop. Standing upright, he squared his shoulders ready for another challenge. Instead, a small hand came out of the darkness, reaching out to him. Taking a deep breath, he smiled to himself and reached his own hand out to take it. 

“I’ve been waiting ages for you,” Millicent Bulstrode whispered in the darkness as Neville ran a hand through her short auburn hair. In return Millicent stood on tiptoes to kiss him.

He pulled back slightly. “Ouch,” he murmured as her lips grazed his.

Millicent looked startled by his reaction but then nodded in understanding. 

“Here,” she whispered, reaching into the pocket of her robes, pulling out a jar of Bruise Healing Paste and dipped a finger in. She gently smoothed some on the bruise. Neville felt it tingle slightly as it worked to soothe the bloodied haematoma on his bottom lip.

“Better?” Millicent asked after a few moments. 

Neville nodded and once more Millicent stood on tiptoes to kiss him. His lips still smarted slightly at the action, but it was nothing like the pain he had experienced the first time. Opening his mouth to accept her kiss, he allowed time to stop for the pair of them just for a minute before pulling away.

Millicent furrowed her brows in confusion, causing Neville to look away. “What’s wrong?” she asked, confusion rich in her voice.

Neville shook his head. “We shouldn’t be doing this, Milli,” he told her gently, “if the others found out…”

“Screw the others,” Millicent shot back, cutting him off, her words sharp and her voice raised in the darkness. Neville looked around to check no one was around listening. With Snape as Headmaster, and the Carrow’s in charge of discipline, it was only a matter of time before someone came overheard them and confronted the pair. Neville pulled her deeper into the shadows. “Calm down, Milli, I’m just being realistic. We aren’t exactly on the same side here, no one will understand.”

Millicent felt her insides twist in a mix of emotions. She wasn’t used to feeling anything but awkward, never mind feeling the way she did about this awkward Gryffindor. It was like they were kindred spirits despite the way The Sorting Hat had placed them as first years into opposing houses. She was always going to be placed in Slytherin, being a distant relative of the Noble House of Black, but she knew that her branch of the family tree was less noble and more ‘Black Sheep’ as they were considered outcasts they were so distantly related. In fact Malfoy who was a distant cousin of hers had made it his personal business to shun her at every opportunity since first year. Her only saving grace was that Pansy Parkinson admired her for the headlock she had once got Hermione Granger into and had insisted on sitting beside her at every meal since.

She straightened her back in defiance, pushing her feelings deep down.

“I’m not on anybody’s side,” she stated firmly. “I just want to survive this and get back to my family in one piece.”

Neville nodded as he took her hand once more. “I know Milli, but it’s different for me. I have to take a side. I have to fight; I have to lead the others. Without Harry here they need me more than ever,” he explained gently.

“So what now? What about us?” Millicent asked, her voice almost pleading.

Neville sighed deeply. “I don’t know. I really don’t know. Even if you picked a side I’m not sure Ginny and the others would be so accepting.”

Now it was Millicent’s turn to look away, not wanting Neville to see the tears that pricked the corners of her eyes.

“No, you’re right, they will always see a girl who happily skipped off to join the Inquisitorial Squad in Fifth year. They won’t understand why, or that in the last two years I have changed,” she murmured, bringing a hand up to wipe away the tears that were now freely falling down her face.

Neville pulled her in for a hug. “Don’t cry, Milli. All this will be over soon and when it is, we can figure things out.”

Millicent shook her head slightly, clinging on to Neville, breathing in his scent for what she suspected would be the last time, and wished, not for the first time, that things had been different. “It won’t be over any time soon and you know things will never go back to the way they were before, everything will be different.”

“Exactly,” Neville said, pushing Millicent back slightly to look deep into her eyes. “Everything will be different in the end and you and I can be together…”

“Don’t do that,” Millicent cut him off, stabbing a finger into his chest.

“Do what?” Neville asked, confusion etching his brow.

“Make promises you and I both know you can't keep,” she stated, her voice firm and resolute.

'So this was it,' Neville thought to himself. Six months of sneaking about in darkened corridors, illicit meetings in dusty corners of the library, whispered words and scrawled notes that were later burnt. It all came down to this moment. He knew she was right of course, but there was a stubborn streak in him and it came out in this moment. 

“Well if that’s how you feel Milli, then really it is for the best that we leave things as they are now.”

Neville turned to walk away but Millicent shot out a hand and grabbed his cardigan, causing him to stop but he refused to turn and look at her.

“I want to believe, I really do. But ‘The Dark Lord’ has power and neither of us can deny that,” Millicent whispered by way of explanation.

“So does Harry,” Neville retorted definitely.

Millicent chuckled. “Harry is just a boy,” she stated.

“You have no idea,” Neville replied, shaking his head, before finally turning to her. “I wish you could see, I wish I could make you believe in him but I guess you're indoctrinated against believing in the power of good over evil.”

His words cut Millicent deep and she let go of his cardigan, stepping back. It was then that she realised that he was right, they were too different. He was a leader and she was still poor little Milli, the outcast.

“So I guess this really is goodbye then,” she whispered, finality in her voice.

Neville nodded, turning away. “For now, at least,” he replied, ever hopeful things would be different He knew she would, one day, be forced to make a choice. Neville hoped beyond hope that when that day came she would make the right choice. Millicent did not reply, and when Neville turned around, she was gone.


End file.
